Academic says job creation pledges 'silly'

A Queensland academic says voters should disregard any promises about job creation in the Queensland election campaign.

Unemployment figures released yesterday showed the jobless rate in Queensland remained steady at 5.4 per cent in January.

Treasurer Andrew Fraser told Parliament yesterday the Government was now 5,000 jobs away from meeting its 100,000 jobs promise.

"With two months to go, Mr Speaker we are on track to deliver on our target," he told the House.

But the Opposition says the number of people who are unemployed is now higher than at the last election.

The Opposition says it is much higher than the other resource-rich state, Western Australia, which has 4.2 per cent unemployment.

However, Professor Ross Guest from Griffith University says state governments have very little influence on jobs.

Professor Guest says employment outcomes are largely the result of global factors and federal policies on tax, spending and workplace relations.

"This whole idea about promising job outcomes years into the future - I note the LNP's unemployment target of 4 per cent in six years is ridiculous if it is achieved - it will have nothing to do with what they've done," he said.

"Likewise [Premier Anna] Bligh's promise of creating 100,000 jobs was also silly - if it was ever met, it would have very little to do with what she did."

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